In the newly created role, Baker will help the company fine-tune its corporate strategy, work with federal agencies and identify potential industry partners.

Vice Chairman Jay H. Nussbaum, one of Agilex’s founders, said in an interview Tuesday that the six-year old company needed an executive who could focus on where Agilex is going in the next six to eight years.

“We needed somebody ... able to look around the corner,” he said.

The IT contractor specializes in software development, cloud computing, data management and mobility.

Baker said in an interview that he was drawn to Agilex because of the company’s focus on making real progress — which was one of his priorities at the VA.

At the VA, “we stopped a lot of programs because we were putting money in them, but they weren't producing results,” he said. At Agilex, “we want to help [federal agencies] achieve that approach to the way that they do their IT investments.”

Before serving as the VA CIO, Baker was president and chief executive of technology company Dataline. He also was an executive at General Dynamics Information Technology and CACI International. From 1998 to 2001, he was CIO for the Commerce Department.

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